Qld politics: Taxpayers hit with $250k bill to cover Premier’s growing team
With half the Labor caucus now holding a ministry or assistant ministry, taxpayers will cough up an extra $1 million over four years for the expansion.
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Taxpayers will fork out $1 million over four years to pay the salaries of the State Government’s expanded assistant ministry, as exactly half of the Labor caucus now hold a title of minister or assistant minister.
The decision to expand the outer ministry from five to eight members came despite Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk making a virtue of saving millions of dollars through a streamlined 14-person Cabinet and just one assistant minister after her 2015 election.
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Qld Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk reveals full Cabinet, new ministries
Member for Cairns Michael Healey, Member for Aspley Bart Mellish, Member for Maryborough Bruce Saunders, Member for Jordan Charis Mullen and Member for Bundamba Lance McCallum were promoted as the third-term Labor Government was officially sworn in today at Government House.
The new appointees join assistant ministers Nikki Boyd, Brittany Lauga and Julieanne Gilbert, while former assistant minister and Member for Ipswich Jennifer Howard has been demoted back to the backbench.
Assistant ministers earn $243,400 a year, $84,000 above a standard backbencher’s pay, and the expanded team will cost an extra $252,000 a year.
During the 2015 election campaign, Ms Palaszczuk promised to cut the number of ministers from 19 to 14, and have just one assistant minister, claiming the move would save $27 million over three years and it was “about being modest” and “the right thing to do”.
But her Cabinet began expanding within a year, and there are now 18 ministers and 8 assistant ministers.
Mr Mellish will assist the Premier on veterans’ affairs, trade and the COVID-19 economic recovery and Mr Healy will assist on tourism development.
Mr Saunders has been appointed Train Manufacturing and Regional Roads Assistant Minister.
Mr McCallum will assist in hydrogen development and the 50 per cent renewable energy target, while Ms Mullen has been appointed Treasury Assistant Minister, Ms Gilbert is Health Infrastructure Assistant Minister and Ms Lauga remains Education Assistant Minister.
Ms Palaszczuk defended increasing the number of assistant ministers because she has “a big job to do” in the COVID-19 recovery and making sure “regions are well represented”.
“This is a big signal as well to regional Queensland that we are here and looking after you every step of the way,” she said.
Ms Palaszczuk said it was important for hydrogen to be established as a new portfolio because of the economic prospects it holds for the state.
“Hydrogen has the potential to be the next LNG industry for Queensland, the potential for thousands of jobs, billions of dollars of investment, and as trade minister my conversations with countries overseas has already been about establishing a hydrogen market here in Queensland, exporting to south east Asia and other parts of the world,” she said.
She said it was the intention that Curtis Pitt would remain as Speaker but that would be endorsed at the next caucus meeting.
Originally published as Qld politics: Taxpayers hit with $250k bill to cover Premier’s growing team
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